ATLANTA — As Louisville terrorized its first four opponents in this NCAA Tournament, the Cardinals relentless attacking pressure and brutally physical depth began to take on a frightening persona, like the tormentor in a horror movie.

“They were everywhere,’’ said North Carolina A&T forward Adrian Powell.

“Just total chaos,’’ Colorado State guard Greg Smith said.

“We got smacked,’’ Oregon guard Johnathan Lloyd said.

“I thought we had a chance there, and then, boom,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “That’s what they do to teams. They can boom you.”

Wichita State has no fear of loud noises or Louisville’s press.

“Fear?’’ Shockers forward Cleanthony Early of Middletown said. “Why fear? They tie their shoes just like we do, they bleed just like we do, they have opportunities just like we do.’’

How’s this for role reversal?

Going into tonight’s Final Four semifinal showdown against No. 9 seed Wichita State in the Georgia Dome, it is No. 1 seed Louisville that sounded like the team with fears.

“The key to beating the press is their mentality, ‘We’re going to beat it, we’re going to get layups, we’re going to attack it,’’’ Louisville coach Rick Pitino said of Wichita State.

Have the NCAA Tournament boogeymen, the lifeblood-sucking Cardinals, suddenly run up against an opponent that not only doesn’t fear the press, but is relishing this chance to stick a wooden stake in the Cardinal-red heart of Louisville?

“We’re looking forward to the pressure,’’ Wichita State guard Tekele Cotton said without the slightest trace of anxiety. “I don’t know if other teams have looked forward to the pressure. But we’re looking forward to the pressure.’’

The Shockers have been handling pressure, overwhelming pressure, all season.

They won at VCU early this season, committing just 13 turnovers against a team that forced 19.6 per game.

The Rams, like Louisville, break teams with what Shaka Smart’s group likes to call havoc. Pitino watched the VCU game live and watched a tape of it a week ago. He was shocked to see the Shockers never flinch.

“They did not rattle at all,’’ Pitino said. “That’s one of the concerns about this basketball game. I remember it because we talked about it the next day.”

Most of the talk about Louisville has focused on the horrific broken leg suffered by guard Kevin Ware in last weekend’s Midwest Region title game win over Duke. Many have speculated Ware’s hardship will provide motivation.

But the loss of the lanky 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard means Louisville will have one less defender to torment Wichita State. CBS and SiriusXM radio’s Mateen Cleaves said Louisville uses more types of presses than VCU. The Shockers don’t care.

“Pressure busts pipes, but it also makes diamonds,’’ Wichita State point guard Malcolm Armstead said.

Armstead is the key to Wichita State. He is a hard and hardened point guard, one that has played at Chipola Junior College and Oregon before arriving at Wichita State.

He discussed the Louisville defense with the calm of a neurosurgeon.

“When you catch it in the coffin corner, they’re going to try to trap automatically,’’ he said. “So it’s just a matter of trying to stay away from the corners and not allow them to turn you. When you turn offensively that’s when they run and jump you and make a lot of plays.

“You just got to be composed and try to eliminate the atomic bombs, as we call it, that fuels their transition game.’’

Atomic bombs? Something might go boom tonight in the Georgia Dome. It just might not be Wichita State.